CHICKEN AND ZA’ATAR HALLOUMI ORZO
One family recipe. Two delicious versions.
A rich roasted pepper and tomato orzo with tender chicken, with the grown-up version loaded with crispy za’atar halloumi, charred peppers, chorizo crumb, Parmesan, honey and sriracha.
Makes: 2 generous adult portions + around 4 baby/toddler portions
INgredients
For the chicken orzo — everyone
Knob of butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
500g fresh tomatoes
220g roasted red peppers, drained
3 garlic cloves
3 tbsp tomato purée
40g fresh parsley, finely chopped
200g orzo
250ml water, plus a little extra if needed
240g cooked chicken breast, finely chopped
For the grown-ups
1 Romano red pepper, sliced lengthways
Chilli flakes, to taste
50g chorizo
250g halloumi, cut into chunky cubes
2 tbsp plain flour
Za’atar, enough to generously coat the halloumi
Drizzle of olive oil
70g Parmesan, finely grated
Handful of lamb’s lettuce
Sriracha, to serve
Honey, to serve
Method
1. Start the sauce
Melt a knob of butter in a large, wide, flat saucepan. Add the finely chopped onion and cook gently until completely soft, tender and translucent.
Add the fresh tomatoes to a food processor and give them a quick blitz until finely chopped. Tip into the pan.
Blitz the roasted red peppers and garlic in the food processor too, then add these to the tomatoes along with the tomato purée and fresh parsley.
Cook everything together until you have a beautifully soft, rich and flavour-packed tomato and pepper sauce.
2. Cook the orzo
Stir in the orzo and 250ml water. Keep over a low heat, stirring regularly so the orzo doesn’t catch on the bottom.
Cook until the orzo is tender and most of the sauce has been absorbed. You’re looking for a lovely, creamy, almost risotto-like consistency rather than a dry pasta dish. Add an extra splash of water as it cooks if it needs it.
Stir through the finely chopped cooked chicken and allow it to heat through.
Tiny Feaster
Now remove your baby/toddler portions.
The chicken should be chopped to an appropriate size for your Tiny Feaster’s age and stage. For younger babies, you can chop or mash the finished orzo further if needed.
Serve just as it is, or with some soft-cooked pepper alongside.
Grown-ups
3. Char the peppers
Add the long slices of Romano pepper to a hot frying pan with a sprinkling of chilli. Cook over a high heat until tender with some lovely charred edges. Remove and set aside.
4. Make the chorizo crumb
Blitz the chorizo in a food processor until you have a coarse crumb.
Add to a dry frying pan and cook until golden and crispy. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
5. Crisp the halloumi
Mix the flour with a generous amount of za’atar. Toss the halloumi cubes through the mixture until lightly coated.
Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a frying pan and cook the halloumi until crisp and golden on the outside while remaining lovely and soft inside.
6. Finish the adult orzo
Once you’ve removed the Tiny Feaster portions, stir 70g grated Parmesan through the remaining chicken orzo.
To serve
Spoon the creamy chicken orzo into the centre of each bowl.
Pile over the charred Romano pepper, crispy za’atar halloumi and a handful of lamb’s lettuce, then scatter generously with the crispy chorizo crumb.
Finish with a drizzle of sriracha and a drizzle of honey.
That sweet, spicy, salty finish with the crispy halloumi is what really brings the whole dish together.
The Tiny Feast Co. — Cook once. Feed everyone
